03 June, 2017
Home secretary Amber Rudd had earlier expressed her irritation over the name of the suspected suicide bomber being released in the USA hours before Greater Manchester Police had wanted to make it public.
"The recent attack on Manchester in the United Kingdom demonstrates the depths of the evil we face with terrorism", he said. He said that his son visited Libya a month and a half ago and was planning to return to Libya to spend the holy month of Ramadan with the family.
It proved a headache for British security circles, and came hours after the Government issued a warning to USA officials not to leak details of the terror investigation. He also denied his son had spent time in Syria or fought with the Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility for the concert bombing.
Security services believe the suspected bomber was likely to have had help from others in staging the attack that killed 22 people, including a girl aged just eight, and a police operation was launched to close on what is believed to be a network of accomplices. On that call, he purportedly told his mother: "Forgive me", said Ahmed bin Salem, a spokesman for the Special Deterrent Force.
The suspected bomber grew up in Manchester's southern suburbs and once attended Salford University there.
Police have found more explosives that could have been used in further attacks, the Independent reported, citing security services.
Ramadan Abedi told the Associated Press early Wednesday that he believed his son was innocent. It's not clear at this time if Salman went to Syria, Dagdoug said.
She confirmed she has contacted USA officials to make her "irritation clear" at information coming out from America.
"We greatly value the important relationships we have with our trusted intelligence, law enforcement and security partners around the world", a spokesperson said.
Following the Manchester attack, Abedi's family members have been arrested - his two brothers and father - in connection to the attack.
British authorities say they believe the suspected bomber may have recently travelled to Libya, which has been the scene of fighting between rival militia groups including some affiliated with Islamic State. Queen Elizabeth II visited Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, telling 14-year-old Evie Mills and her parents: "It's awful".
Residents in Manchester say Mrs Abedi is with her husband in Libya, together with Hisham, 20, and the couple's daughter, Jomana, 18.
Greater Manchester Police temporarily severed information sharing ties with their American counterparts after the pictures were shared.
